Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

The air deep in the alley was like a block of frozen lard, so thick it was hard to breathe.

The moss at the base of the wall had a cold green hue, and the smell of rotten vegetable leaves mixed with dust lingered in my nostrils.

"Give it to us, give it to us, we'll give it to you!"

The moment the plea for mercy echoed against the alley wall, the scarred leader's expression changed—the panic in his eyes was unmistakable, and that "here" was not sincere at all; he clearly wanted to drag his accomplices to the alley entrance to catch up.

But He Yuzhu didn't even lift his eyelids, leaving them no room to maneuver.

"What are you dawdling for? Hand over all your valuables!"

Scarface raised his voice again, deliberately putting on a fierce look, but his eyes kept glancing at the alley entrance like a rat stealing oil, and he even quietly took half a step back.

The henchmen behind him exchanged bewildered glances, their fingers trembling as they reached into their pockets.

The skinny man in shorts first took out a cloth bag, shook it open, and silver coins rolled on the ground with a "clink," mixed with a few rusty copper coins, and two paper bills that were wrinkled like sauerkraut leaves, with frayed edges.

Another short, stout man searched for a long time but only managed to pull out three crushed cigarette packs. The packs were cracked, and you could vaguely see the damp tobacco inside.

A musty, stale smell wafted over on the wind, making He Yuzhu frown.

Only Scarface has some "family wealth".

He slowly pulled an oilcloth bag from his pocket, opened it layer by layer, and inside lay two silver dollars, the edges still bearing teeth marks.

There is also a bluish-white jade snuff bottle with a lotus scroll pattern carved on its body.

The most eye-catching item was a gold coin, thick and round, which shone with a dim light in the dark alley, exuding a real weight.

He Yuzhu took two steps forward, the hem of his military green jacket sweeping across the pebbles on the ground, making a slight scraping sound.

He didn't even consider these junk items a threat—if he really wanted to rob someone, he wouldn't choose such a bunch of poor bastards.

His gaze fell on the first skinny man who bent down to reach into his pocket.

The man hunched his neck, the skin on the back of his neck taut, even the fine hairs were clearly visible, completely exposed to the attack.

Before the other party could react, He Yuzhu flipped his wrist.

His palm was taut like an iron plate, and with a swift, lightning-fast chop, he precisely struck the skinny man's carotid artery.

With a soft "poof," the skinny man didn't even utter a sound.

His eyes rolled back suddenly, his body went limp like a lump of mud, and he fell straight to the ground, his arm twitching unconsciously twice.

The second short, fat man just looked up, about to shout.

He Yuzhu's figure had already closed in, using the same technique and with the same speed.

The moment the chop landed, the short, fat man's mouth was still open, but the sound was stuck in his throat. His body swayed and he landed on top of the thin man.

The third bald man finally realized something was wrong. He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with terror, and reached for the short stick at his waist.

But He Yuzhu was more than twice as fast as him. With a twist of his wrist, he turned his palm into a fist and punched the bald man in the temple.

With a muffled thud, the bald man collapsed to the ground like a puppet whose tendons had been pulled out.

Fast, steady, and ruthless—the three movements are executed in one smooth motion, taking no more than two breaths.

Scarface suddenly realized he had run into a tough opponent and turned to run towards the alley entrance.

But as soon as he took a step, he bumped into a "living wall"—He Yuzhu was already standing in front of him, his eyes as cold as ice.

The ferocity on Scarface's face vanished instantly, replaced by deep terror. He whirled around, trying to rush into the depths of the alley, yelling, "You're asking for it!"

He Yuzhu snorted coldly, and instead of retreating, he advanced. His left shoulder suddenly sank forward, and he gathered all his strength in his shoulder, delivering a powerful Iron Mountain Lean that slammed solidly into Scarface's chest.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, Scarface slammed into the wall like a tattered sack, sending dirt flying off the wall.

He slid down the wall, collapsing into a heap of mud, his chest heaving violently, gasping for breath, a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes unfocused, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand.

The alley suddenly fell silent, with only the breathing of a few people and the occasional hawking cries from afar, which seemed particularly jarring.

Xu Damao stood behind He Yuzhu, mouth agape, eyes wide open, like a frightened rabbit.

Those few moves were too fast; he hadn't even seen how He Yuzhu moved before all six adults were lying on the ground.

He swallowed hard, his fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of his clothes, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement.

"Da Mao," He Yuzhu called out to him, his voice as calm as if nothing had happened.

"Huh? Eh! Eh!"

Xu Damao was startled and suddenly came to his senses. He ran over with his short legs, hurriedly lifted the front of his clothes to make a cloth bag, and squatted down to pick up the scraps.

His hands trembled slightly, and when his fingertips touched the gold coin, he couldn't help but bring it closer to his eyes to take a look. The gold coin gleamed in the dim light, and he chuckled foolishly, his mouth stretching almost to his ears.

After picking up all the silver coins, copper coins, banknotes, and cigarettes on the ground, he ran to He Yuzhu with the heavy cloth bag in his hands, holding it high, his voice full of joy.

"Brother Zhu, we're rich! Look at this gold coin, it's worth so much!"

The child's eyes sparkled, like two little stars hidden within, filled with longing for wealth.

He Yuzhu opened his shirt pocket, revealing the lining inside: "Pour it in."

After Xu Damao carefully poured everything in, he reached out and rubbed Xu Damao's head, his fingertips able to touch the child's soft hair.

"Look at you, so greedy. I'll buy you some candy when we pass the market later."

"Okay!"

Xu Damao chuckled, then suddenly remembered the people lying haphazardly on the ground. His smile froze. He moved closer to He Yuzhu, lowered his voice, and a worried look appeared on his face.

"Brother Zhu, what do we do with these people? If they wake up, will they seek revenge?"

He had secretly crouched down next to the last skinny guy and checked his breath—it was still warm, clearly indicating he was still alive.

But he was terrified, afraid that Brother Zhu would really cause a death, and then the police would come knocking on his door, which would be a real problem.

He Yuzhu pointed to the intersection where they had come from, where they could see figures moving outside the alley.

"Go ahead and keep watch. I'll hide these people, otherwise it'll be troublesome once their accomplices find them."

He paused, his expression turning serious. "Be alert, call me if anything happens."

"Mmm! This is my specialty!"

Xu Damao nodded vigorously, his worries instantly replaced by a sense of mission, and he turned and ran towards the intersection.

He was no longer afraid at all; all he could think about was He Yuzhu's clean and efficient moves just now—he was amazing!

He's just like a chivalrous knight-errant from a traditional opera!

I absolutely have to pester Brother Zhu to teach him when we get back!

He Yuzhu only looked away after watching Xu Damao's retreating figure.

He bent down and picked up the short knife that Scarface had dropped on the ground. The handle was made of ebony and felt heavy in his hand. The blade gleamed coldly, clearly indicating that it was a good knife.

He glanced at the six people lying on the ground, picked one up in each hand, and dragged them like sacks to a corner he had already chosen—there were some broken planks and discarded bamboo baskets piled up there, which could barely block the view of passersby.

He didn't hesitate for a moment when he snapped the neck.

He gripped the other person's chin with his fingers, then suddenly tightened his wrist, producing a crisp "crack" that echoed clearly through the alley.

The first, the second, the third... the movements were crisp and clean, without the slightest hesitation.

He casually tossed the corpse into the system space without making a sound.

Only in this way can we be truly secure.

These things that happened deep in the alley must not be left with any trace, otherwise, once exposed, not only will he be in danger, but his family will also be implicated.

He clapped his hands, looked around carefully to make sure nothing was left on the ground, not even a single hair, before walking towards the intersection with peace of mind.

Xu Damao was standing on tiptoe, peering out from the wall, his little head bobbing up and down as he watched intently.

Occasionally someone would pass by outside the alley, and he would quickly retreat, only peeking out again after the person had gone far away, looking just like a little squirrel sneaking a peek at its prey.

He Yuzhu tiptoed up behind him and whispered, "Da Mao."

"Hey! Brother Zhu, are you done?"

Xu Damao suddenly turned around, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Okay. Let's go back."

He Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder.

"Okay!"

Xu Damao responded happily, skipping and hopping behind He Yuzhu.

On the way back, Xu Damao's mouth never stopped, chattering like a little sparrow.

"Brother Zhu, that move you just made, 'bang!' that slammed someone into the wall, was so cool! What's it called?"

He ran and asked questions, his short legs moving incredibly fast, afraid of not being able to keep up with He Yuzhu's pace.

"Iron Mountain Lean".

He Yuzhu's words were concise and to the point.

"Iron Mountain Lean..."

Xu Damao pondered these three words, his eyes shining with an astonishing light.

"That sounds amazing! Brother Zhu, can I learn it? I want to punch that bad guy into a wall too!"

"We'll see how you perform." He Yuzhu's lips curled into a faint smile.

"I'll definitely do my best!"

Xu Damao patted his chest and made a loud promise.

"Brother Zhu, when did you start practicing? My dad said you have to start practicing martial arts from a young age, otherwise your bones will harden and you won't be able to practice anymore. Did you start practicing when you were little?"

"Hmm." He Yuzhu remained noncommittal, his gaze sweeping warily around him.

"Brother Zhu, what if those guys have accomplices? What if they come looking for us?"

Xu Damao suddenly remembered something, and a look of worry appeared on his face.

"Won't."

He Yuzhu spoke with certainty.

"Why?"

Xu Damao pressed on, determined to get to the bottom of it.

"They're all hidden," He Yuzhu explained simply, without saying anything more.

Xu Damao wanted to ask more questions, but they had already reached a crowded area.

There were vegetable stalls on the street, and a few pedestrians were coming and going, occasionally glancing in their direction. He Yuzhu grabbed him, lowered his head, and whispered.

"You can't tell anyone what I saw in the alley today, not even your parents. If you do, I won't take you out anymore, and your mother will definitely not let you go out again."

Xu Damao's heart tightened, he quickly covered his mouth, nodded vigorously, his eyes full of solemnity.

But he couldn't suppress the little bit of pride and excitement in his heart—such an exciting thing, and he even saw Brother Zhu's amazing skills, but he couldn't show them off to others, which was really frustrating.

Passing by a small market, He Yuzhu pulled Xu Damao inside for a stroll.

The market was almost over by now, with only a few stalls remaining, selling wilted, common vegetable leaves and a small amount of grains, the grains of which didn't look plump.

Meat?

There wasn't even a shadow of one. These days, it's good enough to have enough to eat, let alone meat.

He Yuzhu escorted Xu Damao back to the gate of the compound, told him to wait in the front yard, and then turned around and went out again.

Not long after, He Yuzhu returned, carrying an oil paper package and a bamboo basket. Inside the basket was a fish, its gills still slightly moving, clearly freshly caught. Its tail occasionally flicked, splashing a few drops of water. The oil paper package contained a pair of pig's trotters, washed clean and still slightly damp, obviously fresh.

Xu Damao's eyes widened instantly, staring intently at what He Yuzhu was holding, his mouth practically watering.

He saw it clearly at the market just now; there were no such good things at all. Where did Brother Zhu get them from?

He stared at the live fish, his throat bobbing up and down. He still remembered the delicious fish soup he had at Brother Zhu's house last time; it was so fresh that he could swallow his tongue.

"Let's go, let's go home." He Yuzhu waved the bamboo basket in front of him, his tone smiling.

"I'm having fish soup and braised pig's trotters for lunch today. Want some?"

"Yes! Of course I want to!" Xu Damao nodded vigorously, swallowed hard, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Brother Zhu, where did you get these fish and pig's trotters? They weren't at the market earlier."

He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow.

"So how did you get this thing? Do you know how to tell your mother and my mother?"

Xu Damao's eyes darted around, and he immediately grinned.

"Hehe, Brother Zhu, don't underestimate me! I know! We bought this together at the market, spent most of the day searching before finally finding it, right?"

He Yuzhu gave a thumbs up and praised, "You're quick-witted, kid."

The two walked towards the central courtyard, chatting and laughing.

The courtyard was unusually quiet today; neither Jia Zhangshi nor Banggeng were seen—I wondered if they had gone out or were hiding inside.

Upon entering the He family's house, Chen Lanxiang's voice, tinged with amusement, came from the inner room: "Who is it? Is Zhu'er back?"

"Mother (Auntie), we're back!" He Yuzhu and Xu Damao shouted in unison.

"Good to be back, good to be back. Come inside quickly, it's windy outside." Chen Lanxiang's voice grew closer and closer, and she soon appeared at the door.

He Yuzhu wanted to put the things in the kitchen first, but Xu Damao grabbed his arm and pulled him into the house—the child's desire to show off came up again.

Although he was just a lackey, these good things were, after all, "traded together by the two of us," so the old lady should give him a good compliment.

"Auntie, look! Zhu Zi and I have brought back some good stuff!"

As soon as he entered the house, Xu Damao eagerly lifted He Yuzhu's hand that was carrying the bamboo basket, his voice loud and clear, as if afraid that Chen Lanxiang wouldn't see him.

Chen Lanxiang looked into the bamboo basket and her eyes lit up instantly. She was stunned for a moment.

She then noticed her son winking at her, immediately understood, and said with a smile, "Oh, isn't this fish and pig's trotters? Da Mao is really something! These are rare things, where did you get them?"

"Hey, ma'am, Zhu Zi and I searched through most of the markets in the east of the city to find this! We went to so many places, it wasn't easy! Pretty impressive, right?"

Xu Damao puffed out his little chest, his face full of pride.

"Amazing, amazing!"

Chen Lanxiang smiled broadly and reached out to pat Xu Damao's head.

"Da Mao is a big kid now, able to work alongside Zhu Zi. He's really capable!"

These compliments made Xu Damao a little embarrassed. His face flushed red, and he scratched his head. He turned to look at He Yuzhu and saw him smiling at him. He lowered his head even more shyly.

"Auntie, actually, it's my brother Zhu who's really capable. I just ran errands for him!" Xu Damao said softly, scratching the back of his head.

"They're both amazing, they're both amazing."

Chen Lanxiang said with a smile.

"Alright, Zhu'er, put the things in the kitchen first, then take Damao home to wash his face and change his clothes—look at this child, he's covered in dirt and looks very filthy."

"Okay." He Yuzhu replied and carried the things to the kitchen.

After a while, Xu Damao tidied himself up, changed into clean clothes, and ran back to He Yuzhu's house.

Chen Lanxiang was picking vegetables in the kitchen when she saw Xu Damao arrive, so she smiled and tried to get information out of him.

"Da Mao, tell me, which market did you and Brother Zhu go to today? How did you manage to find such great things? I want to go next time."

Xu Damao's eyes darted around, remembering He Yuzhu's instructions, which boiled down to "the market is so lively."

"There are so many people!" "So many stalls!"

When asked about the specific location, he gave vague answers.

"I can't really explain it, but it was quite far, and Brother Zhu led me there."

Chen Lanxiang then asked, "When you went there, did you encounter any bad people? It's not safe outside."

"No, no!"

Xu Damao quickly waved his hand, afraid of letting something slip.

"We were just buying groceries, we didn't run into any bad guys. Brother Zhu is really tough, who would dare to bully us!"

As he spoke, he proudly raised his chin.

Chen Lanxiang understood.

These two brothers must have gone to some unusual place again, but since nothing bad happened and they even brought back so many good things, there's no need to ask any more questions.

At noon, He Yuzhu naturally brought the old lady over. Chen Lanxiang was quick and efficient; the fish soup she made was milky white and rich, and as soon as it was served, the aroma filled the entire house.

The braised pig's trotters are even more tempting in color, glistening with oil, and exuding a rich meaty aroma.

The old lady kept praising the fish soup as she drank it.

"This fish soup is so delicious! Lanxiang, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"

After praising her, he put on a stern face and began to scold Chen Lanxiang.

"But then again, you shouldn't have let the child go out! It's so dangerous outside. What if he runs into bad people? What's He Daqing, that cook, good for? He can't even figure out how to get things at home without making the child travel so far to find them..."

The old lady went on and on, and Chen Lanxiang could only listen with a smile, nodding occasionally in agreement, but in her heart she was thinking.

My son is really capable; he managed to get so many good things.

The aroma of fish soup and pig's trotters wafted out of the courtyard, and a low murmur and curse came from the Jia Zhang family next door. The voices were not loud, but they could be faintly heard.

He Yuzhu and the others pretended not to hear and continued eating their meals. Xu Damao ate with his mouth full of oil, without even raising his head.

In the afternoon, Xu Damao stopped pestering He Yuzhu to play mahjong and instead focused on learning kung fu.

"Brother Zhu, can you teach me a couple of moves? Just teach me the Iron Mountain Lean, or even the hand chop from earlier!" Xu Damao grabbed He Yuzhu's arm and pestered him relentlessly.

Unable to resist his persistent pestering, He Yuzhu had no choice but to drag him to the backyard and teach him a few basic horse stances.

"Only after you've mastered the basic stance training can you be qualified to learn anything else." He Yuzhu demonstrated, his legs shoulder-width apart, knees bent, body sinking down, firmly planted on the ground as if rooted to the ground.

Xu Damao tried to imitate him by doing a horse stance, but after only a short while, his legs started to tremble and his body swayed like a sapling in the wind.

"Brother Zhu, this is too much!" Xu Damao gritted his teeth, sweat quickly beading on his forehead. "I can't go on, my legs are so sore!"

"You want to give up after only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?" He Yuzhu looked at him.

"There are no shortcuts to martial arts training; you have to put in hard work. If you can't even stand firmly in a horse stance, don't even think about learning the Iron Mountain Lean."

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao immediately gritted his teeth and straightened his back.

"I won't give up! I can persevere!"

He thought to himself that he must study hard so that he could be as capable as Brother Zhu in the future, protecting himself and his parents.

Looking at his stubborn appearance, He Yuzhu made a plan: He would ask his father that night when he would pass on the Monkey Tongbei Fist and let Xu Damao learn it with him.

This kid is physically weak, so practicing boxing will be good for his health. Besides, he's clever and has potential.

He didn't tell Xu Damao about this, fearing that if his father disagreed, it would dampen the little guy's enthusiasm.

His own skills were given to him by the system, so he didn't need to consider talent or foundation. But Xu Damao was different; he had to take it one step at a time.

In the evening, He Daqing returned carrying kitchen utensils. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he smelled the aroma of meat. Looking at the pig's trotters and bones on the cutting board, he knew that his son had gone out to "trade" for things again.

He pulled He Yuzhu aside and asked in a low voice, "Where have you been today? Did you go to one of those places again?"

He Yuzhu knew his father was referring to the black market, and vaguely replied, "I just went to the market, and luckily, I managed to find some things."

He Daqing stared at him for a couple of seconds, his eyes scrutinizing him. Seeing that his son wouldn't say more, he didn't press him further—he knew his son's personality; if he asked too many questions, his son would just lie to fool him.

He Yuzhu seized the opportunity to ask, "Dad, can you teach Da Mao your Monkey Tongbei Fist? That kid is weak, practicing the fist can help him get stronger."

He Daqing thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Okay. That kid looks clever, but his physique is too weak. This is perfect for him."

"Father, there's one more thing."

He Yuzhu hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up.

"Do you have any recipes or anything for your Tan family cuisine? And what about the other cuisines you've learned—do you have any notes or notes on them?"

"A journal? What's that?"

He Daqing was stunned for a moment, not understanding what his son meant.

"Have you written down your cooking tips and recipes?" He Yuzhu explained.

"You want to learn to cook?"

He Daqing was somewhat surprised and raised an eyebrow at his son.

"Didn't you used to say you'd rather die than learn to cook?"

"I want to learn now," He Yuzhu said earnestly.

He knew that in this era, having a solid skill was essential to making a living.

Moreover, Tan Family Cuisine is imperial cuisine. If you can learn it, you'll have more options for making a living or for other purposes in the future.

He Daqing chuckled and patted his son on the shoulder: "You little rascal, you've finally figured it out! But can you even read? You've never been to school, you wouldn't understand a recipe even if I gave it to you!"

He Yuzhu got stuck.

He had completely forgotten about this. In this era, simplified and traditional Chinese characters were mixed together. He might recognize some, but he was far from being able to read them fluently.

Moreover, he had never been to school and could barely read or write.

"When your old man has time, I'll slowly teach you to read and write, and then teach you to cook." He Daqing waved his hand, "How old are you? What's the rush?"

"All right."

He Yuzhu was somewhat disappointed, but he knew that his father was telling the truth.

"When will you start teaching that boxing technique?"

"Let's start after we finish eating," He Daqing said. "It'll also be a good opportunity for me to stretch my muscles."

"OK."

He Yuzhu nodded, feeling relieved. No matter what, his father had agreed to teach him cooking and martial arts, which was a good start.

After dinner, He Daqing indeed led He Yuzhu and Xu Damao to the backyard.

Moonlight spilled into the courtyard, covering the ground with a layer of silver frost.

He Daqing stood in the center of the courtyard, his expression serious, and began to demonstrate the starting stance of the Monkey Tongbei Fist, explaining the key points as he did so.

"Tongbei Quan emphasizes the coordination of hand, eye, body, and footwork, with power originating from the waist, transmitted to the shoulder, and reaching the hand..."

Xu Damao listened intently, his eyes fixed on He Daqing's every move, afraid of missing a single detail.

He Yuzhu also followed along and learned. He had the martial arts foundation provided by the system, so he learned much faster than Xu Damao. Before long, he mastered the essentials of the starting stance.

Night was falling.

The figures in the courtyard were still moving, accompanied by He Daqing's explanations and Xu Damao's panting, creating a warm and hopeful scene.

He Yuzhu knew that his new life had just begun.